Latest KFF Health News Stories
A Look At How Key Provisions Compare In The House And Senate Bills
News outlets examine the proposals being advanced in both chambers.
A Selection Of Today’s Opinions And Editorials
A sampling of opinions and editorials from around the country.
Senate Bill Draws Immediate Reactions From GOP, Interest Groups
Republicans said Democrats’ health overhaul bill would result in higher insurance premiums, tax hikes, and Medicare cuts, was drafted behind closed doors, and that they have not yet read it.
Democrats Continue Efforts To Win Over Moderates
Wavering moderates, including Sens. Mary Landrieu, D-La., Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark., Ben Nelson, D-Neb., and Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., control the key votes needed to bring the health overhaul bill to the Senate floor, so securing their agreement to go forward has become a priority for the Democratic leadership.
Insurers Say They Won’t Alter Mammogram Coverage Despite New Guidelines
Insurance companies say mammogram coverage is unlikely to change despite the debate over the effectiveness of breast cancer screenings for women in their forties.
Kansas Pilot Program To Use Electronic Medical Records To Coordinate Care
A health information technology project may revolutionize how health care is managed by using medical records to coordinate patients’ records.
Senate Leaders Consider Timeline For Health Bill Votes
The Senate could work through Wednesday on its recently released health care bill.
Lawmakers Call For Inquiry Into Pharmaceutical Company Price Hikes
Democratic lawmakers are seeking investigations into drug makers’ pricing practices, after news reports revealed that brand-name drug prices had spiked this year.
White House Backing Medicare ‘Doc Fix’ Bill
The White House Wednesday threw its support behind legislation intended to fix the payment schedule for doctors who participate in Medicare.
First Edition: November 19, 2009
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations — including details of the Senate health bill.
Senate Health Bill Would Levy Tax On Cosmetic Surgery
Major provisions in the Senate health bill include a proposed tax on cosmetic surgery and new language on abortion.
Reid Releases Senate Health Reform Bill, Includes Tax On Wealthy Americans
The bill immediately drew praise from Democrats, who liked the price tag and the coverage for an additional 31 million people, while Republicans denounced it as a “monstrosity.”
Even As The Release Of The Senate Health Bill Nears, Reid Keeps Counting Votes
Senate Democrats are planning a rally in support of the measure on Thursday at noon.
Sebelius Issues Statement On Mammography Guidelines As GOP Attacks Health Reform Proposals
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said Wednesday that women should “Keep doing what you have been doing for years” amid outcry regarding new mammography guidelines from the U.S. Preventive Health Services Task Force.
U.S. Health Officials Testify Before Senate Committee About H1N1 Vaccine Campaign
U.S. health officials defended their handling of the country’s H1N1 (swine flu) vaccine campaign Tuesday “against criticism that their plan to protect Americans was confusing and over-optimistic,” Reuters reports (Fox, 11/17).
GAVI Alliance Drives Down Pentavalent Vaccine Costs, Data Shows
The “co-ordinated buying policy” of the GAVI Alliance has driven down “[t]he price of a vaccine that helps babies fight off killer diseases,” according to data released by the group, Reuters reports. In 2010, the price of pentavalent vaccine, which protects against Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type b), diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus and hepatitis B, will fall “below $3.0
U.S. To Consider Purchasing Some Food Aid Locally, Acting USAID Head Says At World Food Summit
The U.S. is interested in potentially using more locally-produced food aid rather than U.S. grown food as a way to expand investment in agricultural development in the developing world, said Alonzo Fulgham, acting head USAID, “on the sidelines of a World Food Summit in Rome” on Tuesday, Reuters reports.
